Disclosed herein is a system to detect and characterize individual particles and cells using at least either optic or electric detection as the particle or cell flows through a microfluidic channel. The system also provides for sorting particles and cells or isolating individual particles and cells.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A system for particle sorting, the system comprising: a hardware platform comprising a housing configured to support and align one or more components of the system, wherein the components comprise: a top plate comprising one or more pressure access ports; a pneumatics module comprising one or more pressure sources in fluid communication with the one or more pressure access ports of the top plate; a base plate configured to receive and connect to a microfluidic cartridge, wherein the top plate is positioned atop the microfluidic cartridge; a collection module comprising a stage subsystem comprising a plate holder housing one or more output containers, wherein the collection module is configured for actuated movement in relation to a fixed position of the base plate, wherein the collection module is positioned below the base plate; a detection and sorting module, wherein the detection and sorting module comprises one or more of optical and electrical detection means operable to detect a characteristic of a particle of interest by one or more of optical signals and electrical signals generated by the particle of interest as it passes through a sensing region of the microfluidic cartridge; a waste module; and, a processor operable to receive data from the detection and sorting module upon detection of a target particle, to thereby activate sorting and collecting the target particle.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the base plate comprises a mechanism configured to mate the microfluidic cartridge to one or more of the electrical, pneumatic, detection and sorting, collection, and waste modules of the hardware platform, such that the microfluidic cartridge is aligned with and connected to the various modules of the hardware platform.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the pneumatics module base plate further comprises one or more valve manifolds connected to the base plate, wherein the one or more valve manifolds are vertically aligned between the microfluidic cartridge and the base plate.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the base plate comprises electrical sensing contacts.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection and sorting module comprises one or more of a photodiode light source, an LED light source, an optic detector, and/or a detector for electrical signals caused by passage of a particle through a sensing region of the microfluidic cartridge.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the top plate is separate from the microfluidic cartridge.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the top plate is integrated with the microfluidic cartridge.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic cartridge comprises: a cartridge assembly comprising a microfluidic chip comprising: a sensing region; a sorting region downstream from the sensing region, the sorting region comprising an intersection of: a first microfluidic channel leading from the sensing region; a second microfluidic channel leading from a trigger inlet and substantially perpendicular to the first microfluidic channel at the intersection; a default branch channel leading away from the intersection and operably associated with the first microfluidic channel at the intersection; and a selected branch channel leading away from the intersection at an angle acute to the default branch channel at the intersection, wherein the selected branch channel leads to a carrier channel connecting a carrier inlet to a sample collection outlet.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first microfluidic channel, the second microfluidic channel, and the default branch channel have substantially the same diameter at the intersection and the selected branch channel has a narrower diameter than the first microfluidic channel at the intersection.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the carrier channel has a diameter where it meets the selected branch channel that is narrower than the diameter of the first microfluidic channel at the intersection.
11. The system of claim 8, wherein the first microfluidic channel diameter widens between the sensing region and the sorting region.
12. The system of claim 8, wherein the sorting region is configured to direct a sample liquid from the sensing region to the default branch channel in absence of a threshold flow of trigger fluid from the trigger inlet through the second microfluidic channel and further configured to direct the sample liquid from the sensing region to the selected branch channel during application of the threshold flow of trigger fluid from the trigger inlet through the second microfluidic channel.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein the default branch channel leads to a waste collection outlet.
14. The system of claim 8, further comprising a trigger reservoir providing trigger fluid to the trigger inlet, a sample reservoir providing sample fluid to the sensing region, and a carrier reservoir providing carrier fluid to the carrier inlet.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the pneumatic module further comprises a controller operably connected to the microfluidic cartridge to provide pressure to one or more of the trigger reservoir, the sample reservoir, and the carrier fluid to produce trigger fluid flow, sample fluid flow, and carrier fluid flow respectively.
16. The system of claim 1, wherein the collection module comprises a housing with the stage subsystem therein, the stage subsystem further comprising a plate driver operably connected to the electronics module, wherein the plate holder houses an output container comprising a plurality of collection chambers.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the output container is a 96-well plate.
18. The system of claim 16, wherein the output container is a plurality of tubes.
19. The system of claim 16, wherein the microfluidic cartridge comprises one or more nozzles, wherein the collection module is operable to move to collect a drop from a nozzle into a desired collection chamber.
20. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware platform enables the various modules of the system to act in concert.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
June 26, 2023
January 7, 2025
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